Students
Qualifying Placements
The Colorado Law Externship Program is offered year-round (Fall, Spring and Summer semesters). Students may extern at governmental and听non-profit organizations and agencies.听Students may work in all three branches of the government, including state and federal judicial chambers, executive agencies, and legislative听offices. As per the Law School Rules,听Colorado Law students may not extern听at private, for-profit law firms or corporations. Due to a recent update to the Law School Rules, starting in Summer of 2023 students may now be paid and receive academic credit at approved externships.听
Remote Externships
Due to the COVID-19 situation, students can now听complete remote externships if their agencies will not allow them to work in the office, or if the student is not comfortable听attending in person. Please speak to the听Program Director if you have any questions.听Externship sponsors are not limited to agencies and organizations that have sponsored externs in the past. Students must be supervised by a licensed attorney at their agency.听
Law School Credits
Students may receive 2, 3 or 4 credits for an externship in a semester, unless special approval has been granted for a single semester 7-credit externship in Colorado or a single semester 10-credit externship at a national or international placement. 50 hours of work听time is required for each externship credit. 听Students interested in seeking special approval for a 7 or 10 credit externship should consult with the Director of Experiential Learning about additional program requirements. 听Students can only participate in ONE externship per semester (i.e., a student cannot complete a 2-credit externship at the Colorado Supreme Court and a 2-credit externship at the AG's Office in the same semester).
Application Deadlines
Externship Program Description Agreement documents must be received听no later than the deadlines listed below. We encourage students to being process of completing听externship paperwork EARLY as background checks and other administrative processes can take a while.
- The听deadline to submit your SUMMER 2025 externship application听is Tuesday, May 27th听at 11:59 p.m. MST.
- 鈥媁e cannot accept late applications!
- 鈥The Summer Externship Session will run from Monday, June 2nd through Friday, August 8th.
- The听deadline to submit your FALL 2025 externship application听is Wednesday, August 13th听at 11:59 p.m. MST.
- 鈥媁e cannot accept late applications!
- 鈥The Fall Externship Session will run from Monday, August 25th through Friday, December 5th.听
Colorado's听Student Practice Act:
Law students who have completed at least two years of law school may appear in court pursuant to听.听A student must file a听听that they have听completed two years of law school and is of good moral character.听To file this certification, print the form, complete the first two sections, and email the form to听lawreg@colorado.edu. The Registrar will then听complete and submit the form.听
The student must also provide the name of the supervising attorney and an anticipated graduation date. Work must be performed for an attorney in the public sector, i.e., the Public Defender's Office or District Attorney's Office; or on behalf of a non profit legal services organization where poor or legally underserved persons receives legal advice.
Please note: In addition to the Law School Rules, Externships are regulated by ABA Standard 304.听
Academic Quick Links
ALL FALL 2025 EXTERNSHIP STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO听ATTEND A听MANDATORY EXTERNSHIP ORIENTATION SESSION
- Wednesday, August 27,听2025
- noon - 12:50 P.M. MST
- ZOOM Link PROVIDED VIA EMAIL
Fall 2025 Externship Key Dates
- Midsemester reflection is due WEDNESDAY, October 15th at 11:59pm MST
- End of semester paperwork is due FRIDAY, December 5th at 11:59pm MST
Fall 2025 Externship Classes
Externship students听are听required听to attend externship classes that will be scheduled over the course of the semester in the subject area that is closest to the area of law where the student will be placed during the semester. 听Students DO NOT have to register for the externship classroom component through the Law Registrar's Office. The Program Director will send all students enrolled in an externship additional听information about the externship class during the first week of classes each semester.听
While the General Topics class is suitable for students completing an听externship focusing on any area of the law, we strongly recommend that students enroll in the听subject-specific class for the practice area of their externship.听
Students completing an听externship in the same practice area as a previous externship (i.e., two externships with the Federal Government) may be eligible to take the Advanced Topics class.听The dates, times听and instructors are as follows:
听
Advanced Externship (repeat externs with same practice area) ()
- Wednesday, September 10, Noon to 12:50 p.m. 鈥 Room 300
- Wednesday, November 19, Noon to 12:50 p.m. 鈥 Room 300
听
General Topics听听(cross-cutting professionalism topics) ()
- Wednesday, September 3, Noon to 12:50 p.m. 鈥 Room 300
- Wednesday, September 24, Noon to 12:50 p.m. 鈥 Room 300
- Wednesday, October 8, Noon to 12:50 p.m. 鈥 Room 300
- Wednesday, October 22, Noon to 12:50 p.m. 鈥撎齊oom 300
- Wednesday, November 12, Noon to 12:50 p.m. 鈥 Room 300
- Wednesday, December 3, Noon to 12:50 p.m. 鈥撎齊oom 300
听
Federal Government ()
- Tuesday, September 2, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 鈥 Remote
- Tuesday, September 16, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听 鈥 Remote
- Tuesday, October 7, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听 鈥 Remote
- Tuesday, October 28, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听 鈥 Remote
- Tuesday, November 18, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 鈥 Remote
听
Judicial ()
- Thursday, September 4, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听鈥 听Room 205
- Thursday, September 25, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听鈥 Room 205
- Thursday, October 16, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听鈥撎齊oom 205
- Thursday, October 23, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听鈥撎齊oom 205
- Thursday, November 13, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听鈥撎齊oom 205
听
Non-Governmental/Non-Profits ()听
- Wednesday, September 10, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. . 鈥 Room 303, In-person
- Wednesday, October 1, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 听鈥撎齊emote
- Wednesday, October 22, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 听鈥撎齊emote
- Wednesday, November 12, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 听鈥撎齊emote
- Wednesday, December 3, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 鈥撎齊emote
听
Prosecution听()听听
- Tuesday, September 9, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听鈥撎齊oom 330
- Tuesday, September 30,听 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听鈥撎齊oom 330
- Tuesday, October 21, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听鈥撎齊oom 330
- Tuesday, November 11, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听 鈥撎齊oom 330
- Tuesday, December 2, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.听鈥 Room 330
听
Public Defender ()听
- Wednesday, September 10, 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.听鈥撎齊oom 421
- Wednesday, September 24, 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. 鈥撎齊oom 421
- Wednesday, October 8, 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. 鈥撎齊oom 421
- Wednesday, October 29, 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. 鈥撎齊oom 421
- Wednesday, November 12, 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.鈥 Room 421
听
State/Local Government听()听听
- Tuesday, September 16, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 鈥 Room 421 Please note different start time for first session only
- Tuesday, September 30, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 鈥撎齊oom 421
- Tuesday, October 21,听4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 鈥撎齊oom 421
- Tuesday, November 4, 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 鈥撎齊oom 421
- Tuesday, November 18,听 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 鈥撎齊oom 421